WinterGreen Research announces that it has a new study on Manual Wheelchair Market Shares and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2012-2018. The 2012 study has 365 pages, 110 tables and figures.

Reimbursement drives manual wheelchair markets. People pay for medical insurance and medical insurance pays for wheelchairs. The government provides people over age 65 with medical insurance in the US. New initiatives provide for universal healthcare coverage. In many parts of the developed world, there is complete medical coverage provided by the government, though working people tend to supplement government coverage with medical insurance.

As the population ages, people are more frail and need assistance for mobility. Hospital and homecare wheelchair technology is evolving to give people with disabilities more mobility. Mobility depends on a wheelchair that is fit to purpose. Are people going to move themselves? Are they going to be pushed around? Is the wheelchair used for sports? Many issues impact the choice of a wheelchair, including cost and reimbursement availability.

Markets are poised to create the ability for people to get more exercise and impact the healthcare delivery industry by encouraging mobility of people who were previously bed ridden. Wheelchairs impact care delivery, permitting the patient to control mobility for the rehabilitation efforts. Lightweight wheel chairs give patients the ability to control movement. Transport wheelchairs are used for moving patients from the bed to another place. Patients and family gain more control over the care delivery with the availability of transport wheelchairs. Care can be delivered in familiar settings